The Rose's Thorns
by Andromeche
Summary: Saya is a bounty hunter by birth, Youko is the bandit that took it all from her. What will happen when she sets her plans into motion and the two kitsunes cross paths again? Will the bounty hunter perish, or the wild be caged? Or something else?


Andromeche: Heh, looking through the story on the site made me realize I left out my usual rant at the beginning of one of my stories. So yeah. This story is about one of my role-playing characters that I've had for a while, but have only really touched on her past, so I thought it would be fun to go more in depth with it. I hope you guys enjoy it.

_Disclaimer: _Aside from all original characters I create, I own nothing. Though if I did, I'd be a very happy and rich girl.

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Her heart beat rapidly, instilling a subconscious ache in her head with each frantic pulse. Dying screams had left her deaf to the world. A world that was now vicious reds and oranges, dancing mockingly around her, beckoning her to join them. She wouldn't, she couldn't. The dreadful dance had procured the very screams that had deafened her, maddened her.

The young kitsune paused in the opening, the dancing flames reaching for her slowly, like a sleepy lover, wishing to twine themselves around her. The whiteness of her hair was grayed by the ash in the air, choking her. She was numb, even to the burning embers crushed beneath her bare feet. A marginally cooler breeze hit her face like a violent slap, bringing her to her senses, or what remained of them. Escape. She needed to escape. Escape, or let ashes be her tomb.

Her feet suddenly beat desperately against the ground, pushing her forward in an abrupt spurt of dreadful fear. It rose in her quickly, gripping her tightly. She was oblivious to the glowing coals that withered her clothes and seared her flesh, adding another dose of burning flesh to the toxic air. Her vision darkened as she panted in her sprint, pulling the tainted air further into her lungs.

A silent scream ripped itself from her throat. Why? How? Why was the happening? How did it happen? Who would do this? Her family… God, her family was gone. The tears seemed to evaporate as soon as they slipped to her cheeks. All of them… the smiling faces of her family danced in front of her, calling to her as the flames beckoned, feeding on her delusion. Her pace had slowed as her breath was pulling less air and more smoke into her.

A sharp crack finally broke through her deafness. She stumbled as the sound paralyzed her. In the next moment he lurched forward, fear striking hard through her as she realized what the sound meant. A pained cry escaped her as the burning beam smashed into her back, gasping as her face was smothered in ashes. Coughs racked her slender body, and clouds of ash engulfed her face. Tears formed clear paths down her cheeks as the ash stung her eyes.

The flames lapped lovingly at her back, the thin material of her nightclothes retreating from the dancing orange. Her arms pressed herself up, and the beam pushed more against her back, the pain tearing wretched paths along her nerves. She had to escape. She had to. Her feet dug into the ground and she threw herself forward, the beam sliding off her back and catching her foot this time. A raw cry escaped her savaged throat. She yanked at her foot desperately, sobbing in relief as it came free. She pushed herself up again, looking for anywhere the flames hadn't claimed.

The door. She limped towards it, dismissing any damage she did to her wounded foot. Even if she lost it, it meant freedom. She cried out in relief as she hurtled out into the chilling air, wanting to cry in happiness as her cheek collided with the cool damp grass.

Then she began to feel her wounds, the pain blending together so that even the uninjured parts of her throbbed and burned. She could see someone out of the hazy corner of her eye. She turned her head, whimpering at the new wave of pain that it brought. It was a person she saw, and in her dimming vision she could see the gusts of heat blowing the fair hair around a masculine face. She felt herself reach out for him.

_Help me…._

The words died even before her mouth started moving as the gray edges around her sight converged and darkened, the last sound she heard being the dull thumb of her arm falling back to the ground. Then everything went black.

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Andromeche: Well, there's my first chapter, though it's more of a prologue. I'm also starting to make a soundtrack of sorts for Saya and the story, so if any of you are interested in it, e-mail me 'bout it. Though I doubt anybody's interested in what I have to say ;; But I can try.


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